Rise to Power
by Rorscharch Vene
Summary: The world and his family believed him dead. But he was always destined for greatness. Along with the help of a person from a house thought extinct, Herwald Rizevim Archibald must return to the world in order to undo the evils that were unleashed by his predecessors. Starts summer after third year. Alive!Good!Potters, Good!Dumbledore, Ron!Bashing and Sister!GirlWhoLived.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

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><p><strong>November 1, 1991<strong>

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><p>Fawkes trilled a song that travelled in the room full of noise. The phoenix's song proved to be effective as the five people – who argued moments ago – stopped and looked at the headmaster who smiled at them. The five people composed of Sirius Black, James and Lily Potter, Frank and Alice Longbottom blushed in embarrassment and motioned for the aged headmaster to speak. The said headmaster smiled at his familiar with eyes full of twinkle.<p>

"Ahem. Now that you are all listening," the males blushed and glared at each other. "I suggest planning for the future. As you know, Lord Voldemort was vanquished yesterday by Claire Potter; proving the prophecy true. However, despite this good news, I'm afraid that the prophecy has not run its full course."

The prophecy that Sibyl Trelawney gave to him stated that the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. That part has been done by the power of Claire Potter, and she had been marked as Voldemort's equal. However, the prophecy did not end there. It stated that another battle would ensure where the chosen of the prophecy will have to fight with the power that the dark lord knows not. Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.

October 31 at midnight, Voldemort attacked the Potter's by himself. It was only thanks to the timely arrival of the secret keeper that alerted the Potters of the arrival of the dark lord. A battle ensued in which James, Lily, Sirius and Peter were defeated soundly by the dark lord. Albus thanked Voldemort's arrogance at his victory. He wanted to make the four to see how he kills their daughter and cast the killing curse in front of their bounded bodies. The killing curse rebounded and he was undone by his own arrogance. The four people saw how he apparated out of the house and left his own wand while Claire received a lightning bolt shaped scar on her forehead.

Thus, the first part of the prophecy has been fulfilled.

"I understand that you want to celebrate but remember. Even though Voldemort is gone, many of his followers remain loyal and free," Albus looked at the three Aurors. "It would be wise to continue hiding until the debacle calms. Remember to be alert at all times."

"It is as you say, Albus. I agree with your plan," Lily Potter spoke from her seat. "But what about Claire? The prophecy states that she has to face Voldemort in the future again. I'm worried about that part."

"Indeed. I have decided that when the time comes that her magical core is developed, I would train her myself and teach her things about Lord Voldemort," Albus replied while stroking his beard. "I am more concerned about young Harry. When the time comes, I'm sure that he would want to protect his sister."

Harry Potter was Claire's older brother by one year. A week ago, he was sent into Lily's relatives for protection, under the name Harry Smith. Lily knew that Petunia and her husband would not treat Harry properly if they knew that he was magical, so she told them that he was a boy left behind by some of their muggle friends and that he was completely 'normal'. She made a lie about not wanting to expose him to the magical world and left him there. They agreed to take care of him so that Lily would not infect him of their 'freakishness' in exchanged, Lily would send a fair amount of money to take care of him.

"Although it pains me to say this… but I think Harry is better to remain at Petunia's," James stood up from his seat and stared questioningly at Lily. "Think about it James, he is protected and taken care. I know that Claire will have a hard childhood due to the burden at her shoulders, at the very least, I want Harry to grow up with a normal childhood. Don't worry, by the time he gets his Hogwarts letter, he'll be back to us."

James stared hard at Lily and appeared to be in thought. Lily saw this and pressed even further.

"It would be hard to remain alert with two kids running around. Claire alone was hard enough, and that's with the help of a house elf," Lily paused. "Remember James, we let our guard down. If Peter did not come to warn us, we would've died."

Peter Pettigrew, the Potter's secret keeper. Sirius proposed to make Peter the secret keeper while the public would think that he would be the logical choice for the Potters. Three days before the attack, Peter mysteriously disappeared. He came back the night of October 31, minutes before Voldemort's arrival; he was wounded and worried. He warned them that he was captured by Voldemort and tortured, ultimately, the dark lord casted him under the Imperius curse to tell his the location of the Potters.

It was a miracle when he broke free from the unforgivable curse. Peter swore under veritaserum that he did not willingly betrayed the Potters and described the torture that he had undergone in the hands of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"Still, I can't believe it," Sirius said from his seat. "Ol' Peter broke free from an Imperius casted by snake-face himself."

"Breaking free from that curse requires quite the amount of will. Even when tortured, he did not give your location," Albus' eyes twinkled. "I believe that you will no longer doubt the Sorting Hat's decision now."

Chuckles erupted from the people in the room.

"So long as we can get him back," James sighed in defeat as he agreed on his wife's suggestion. "Albus, can you make sure that Harry would remain safe? I can't let anything fall into chance anymore…"

"That I will, James," Albus replied. "And when the time comes, I will train young Harry alongside Claire to strengthen their bonds."

The male Potter nodded his head with reluctance. He could not help but ask himself. The war was already over so why are they still required to make sacrifices? All he wanted for his children was for them to live a normal, happy life along with their parents and friends.

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><p><strong>July 18 1999, Godric's Hollow<strong>

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><p><strong>TRAGEDY STRUCKS S.S. ANTARES,<strong>

**OVER TWO-HUNDRED PASSENGERS MISSING**

_On July 17, 1999 the S.S Antares which was a cruise ship on the middle of voyage to Russia disappeared after a storm struck. The cruise carried approximately 213 people while according to the developers, its capacity limit reaches only 150! According to the Coast Guard, the ship sunk somewhere in the middle of trip. As of now, the navy and air forces from many nations are searching the seas for possible survivors of the sunken cruise. However, experts say that the chances of survivors are unlikely. The storm that struck the ship down had enough force to create massive tidal waves that could sink the lifeboats, and that the cold temperature would freeze the survivors!_

_Upon inspection on the list of passengers, it was discovered that there were over 70 people from Britain that was onboard the ship. Including two children with the name of Dudley Dursley (9) and Harry Smith (10) – which are in the custody of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. _

_S.S Antares is the most recent tragedy to ever happen in the seas. The last one happened in May 13, 1970 when two ships collided and sunk in the English seas. Many were distraught upon the knowledge of the tragedy and some of the victims' families are in the embassy waiting for news of their loved ones._

_For more information on S.S Antares, see page five._

_List of passengers, see page eight._

_List of ship tragedies, see page nine._

James Potter dropped the muggle newspaper as his arm lost all its strength. His head felt light as if someone a bludger had struck it. Beside him, Lily Potter sobbed uncontrollably and muttered the name of their now-deceased son nonstop.

Albus had visited them today with a sad look and simply gave the newspaper for them to read. He gestured Claire to go outside and play with his phoenix for a while. James could not believe what happened. It was only a month ago when he and Lily observed their son on school under an invisibility charm. The child that was a Ravenclaw material – according to Lily – was now gone from their lives forever.

Tears escaped from his eyes as the full realization dawned on him.

Their son was dead, lost somewhere in the middle of the seas.

James collapsed on his seat as he tried to comprehend the news. His morning started just fine, with his promise to play Quidditch with his daughter and Sirius. They were supposed to visit Peter later and then go to Remus' newly opened inn. Next week, he planned to visit his son again to see how he would do on his soccer match, and then he would not go under an invisibility charm and would cheer for Harry in the stands.

But now, all of those were ruined.

He sobbed and felt the heartbreaking sadness overcome him.

His son did not even know they existed.

In two months, Harry would receive his Hogwarts letter and he could finally return to them, to his family. It was supposed to be a large celebration that would rock the Wizarding world. Claire's brother would finally return as the rightful heir to the Potter family. Then he was supposed to meet him, Sirius, Peter and Remus. They were supposed to teach him their tricks and see as a new generation of Marauders rise.

But now, all of those plans were gone with the wind.

James sobbed harder and buried his face on his hands. The war was over and everything were looking bright. Everything was supposed to go better this year.

Throughout this, Albus Dumbledore watched with sadness and tear-streaked face.

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><p><strong>Somewhere in the seas<strong>

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><p>He floated.<p>

Aimlessly upon the cold seas, he floated.

He did not know where the others had gone. He was sure he was not alone when the ship had sunk. He remembered his cousin; they were separated from his aunt and uncle. He helped Dudley to swim with him, but he lost him later somewhere along the massive waves and debris. He was lucky to have hold over and destroyed plank from the lifeboats. It kept him from sinking when he fell unconscious from tiredness.

After that, he continued to pedal his feet, intent on leaving the cold water.

How long since he started?

He does not remember. However, he knew that he would not die out here, alone and cold.

His throat was sore and dry; the water around him did nothing to quench his thirst. He had stopped yelling for help because of that.

Even so, he did not stop hoping.

He was so cold.

The water that surrounded him might as well been frozen, such was the intensity of the cold. His body shook from the cold and became harder to move. The sky thundered once again and the endless rain started to fall and erased the eerie silence.

Wait…

There!

He surged forward, his lungs and body protested from the action but he strived to kick his legs. He did not stopped and called upon every ounce of strength in his body. He gasped for air as the rain pelted down at him.

He then saw something.

Something other than the waves that surged and rain that fell.

He saw land.

An island.


	2. Chapter 2

The stars on the night sky shone brightly as the gentle breeze caressed the trees. A pair of emerald eyes watched as a herd of unicorn traveled in the woods, a foal caught his gaze and stared back with curiosity in its intelligent eyes. The figure smiled lightly and pointed a finger where the foal's herd waited for it to catch up, the unicorn stared at him a for a few more moments before it followed its herd deeper into the woods.

"Enjoying the night, lad?"

Harry turned around and saw an old man gazing at the woods with fond eyes. He was a tall and well-built man despite his old age over two centuries. His hair was deathly white ever since his youth and it suited his old appearance. His eyes of sapphire were filled of regret and sadness.

His name was Aleister Romulus Archibald; an old hermit who had a lot of regret in his life but never allowed it to cloud his mind. He was the reason why he was still alive and as proficient in magic as he was. Of course, he was also the reason why his life was in danger most of the time. He had mixed feelings towards Al – as he preferred to call himself – he felt deep respect and gratitude for the old man but at the same time, he is annoyed at him for the constant lessons that include bodily pain.

"It's really peaceful here…"

"Indeed, that is part of the reason why I never left," Al sauntered beside him and sat on the fallen tree trunk. He admired the green scenery before them with fondness on his old eyes. "Of course that main reason is that I'm too old and many people would kill me if I return to the outside world."

Harry let out a chuckle.

"I think they should be the one scared of you," flashes of the 'lessons' appeared on his mind and he cringed from the memories. "You may look old but you kick harder than a horse."

"Ah, but compared back then, my strength now has diminished completely," the old man said with a laugh. "Had I been fifty years younger, my kick would tear through the thickest of steel. Age can be cruel."

Harry shuddered at the thought. The old man could kick through trees; his younger counterpart would surely kick his ass seven ways to Sunday. At the same time, he realized why this man was feared when he was still on the magical world.

"So, you mentioned something earlier," Harry recalled the lesson earlier today where the old man said something. "What do you mean by 'I have short time as it is'?"

The old man smiled and it was the grandfatherly smile that Harry knew he make whenever he would tell him stories of his younger years. He already had his thoughts about what Al said, but he wanted to hear it from the old man himself.

"Alas, I could feel it in my bones; I am nearing death," the old man said with a soft tone. Harry grimaced and looked at the ground. "Do not despair child. I am very old and I have accepted it a long time ago."

Although he would not admit it out loud, Harry had come to view the old man as his grandfather. He saved him and taught him how to use his gift. The man made him see how magic could be so beautiful yet so ugly at the same time.

"Old man… do you still have a dream?"

The old man paused for a moment and sighed. He looked at the skies and was lost on his thoughts. Meanwhile, Harry stared at his companion and noticed the several emotions surfacing on his tired face. He knew that Al had many regrets and he wanted nothing more than to correct them.

"My dream… back when I was young and foolish, I sought to follow my ancestors in their evil and mindless bloodshed. Because of that, I made many, many mistakes," Al seem to age as he spoke about his youth. "Part of the reason why I condemned myself in this island was to forget them. But I could not. Now, I dream of undoing the greatest mistake my ancestors have orchestrated. But it is a fool's dream because now I am old…"

The two of them remained silent, lost on their respective thoughts.

Then all of a sudden, Harry stood from his position.

"If that's the case, then let me take your place in doing them!" He said to the shocked man. "I mean, you can't expect me to stay here after you die. I might as well do something productive. I can't think of any so let me steal yours."

The old man stared at him as if he grew a second head.

After a few minutes, Harry grew annoyed at glared at the old man. Here he was being generous to offer him his aid once he drop dead and all he does was stare at him as if he was some kind of idiot. Harry frowned when Al suddenly laughed.

He laughed and laughed until tears were escaped his eyes and the trouble of not breathing took over.

"It's not funny…"

"-no, no. I apologize for that, lad. I am just overjoyed that you would do something so noble," the old man paused and regained his breathing. He looked at Harry with utmost seriousness he rarely displayed. "However lad, if you plan to help me achieve my dream, you have to get stronger. Stronger even when I was on my prime…"

Harry gulped at the intensity at Al's eyes, but he did not back down and stared back with determination.

"Bring it on."

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><p><strong>Blood Adoption and Mystic Eyes<strong>

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><p>Harry stared back at his reflection in wonder. His appearance had taken a drastic change ever since he had undergone the Blood Adoption ritual. He did not know the reason why Al insisted that he do this but he said that it was important. The painful procedure had taken four long hours and made him unconscious for seven days straight. He could now see the subtle changes that had started to show effect. His skin was a lot paler from before, he also gained at least three centimeters in height. His hair showed signs of fading into white just like Al's. Last but not the least, his emerald eyes had gone several shades lighter.<p>

"I see that you are awake," Al walked in with a bowl of green liquid that smelled so foul Harry could smell it in his position. "The changes will be more drastic after a few years so don't be surprised if by that time you looked nothing like you are now."

The effects of Blood Adoption ritual was pass him some of Al's blood and traits. Some of his old traits would still remain but not as significant as before. Harry knew this and now he wanted answers. Al did promise him some after all.

"Alright, so what's the reason for this?" Harry frowned. "What's the need for me to undergo that painful ritual?"

Al placed the bowl in the table and gestures Harry to sit.

"The reason is simple. Harry, I want you to take over the house of Archibald and change it for the better," Harry stared at Al with knitted eyebrows. Surely it can't be as simple as that. "Another reason is that I want you to destroy artifacts owned by my family. Some of our works are recorded in an archive in our manor, and only an Archibald can find its location. You would also need resources to track down some my ancestor's creation. Lastly, I want you to declare that another Archibald exist to cower those who would try to take my family's secrets."

"Why would they do that?" he asked.

"Many wizards would kill for a chance to claim the Archibald's fortune. My family was one the richest in Europe and they most likely to assume that we have grimoires in our treasures that grant us power," Al explained patiently. "The Archibald's have produced many Dark Lords over the centuries, me included. Although I never got to do anything as I was too busy on research of my family's creations."

"Wait, wait," Harry frowned as a thought hit him. "Wouldn't that mean that your family had lots of enemies? What would happen to me if I declare myself as an Archibald?"

Now don't get him wrong. Harry wanted to help Al to correct his and his family's mistakes but that doesn't mean that he would sacrifice himself to do it. He planned doing something after ten years or so. Besides, he would be most likely dead before he could do what Al wanted if he faced the people who would do anything to get their hands on the Archibald fortune.

"That's why I said that you would need to become even stronger than me," Al replied. "Aside from wizards, a lot of dark creatures has their eyes on my family. Some of them are ancient and possess power a few could match."

"O-kay, you have some plan to make me strong, right?" Harry asked with a strained smile.

"Indeed," Al nodded and looked at him seriously. "I plan to make you awaken the Mystic Eyes."

"Mystic Eyes?"

"Yes, Mystic Eyes. They are tools that would give you great power, that is, if you awaken them," all of a sudden Al's blue eyes changed into the color of gold. "Mystic Eyes grants the holder the ability to see magic and understand it. It also allows the user to cast magic with his eyes and offer protection from mind invading spells. Let me demonstrate."

Al stared at him and he yelped as he was lifted in the air. Al looked around the room and transfigured things then set them on fire. Harry watched with fascination as the old man cast magic with a mere look.

"So, I would get to learn that?"

"Among other things," Al dropped Harry in the ground and he fell with a thud. "However, awakening Mystic Eyes requires time. You must train to channel magic through your eyes before we awaken it. Even then, the process is painful and you would be blind for a month. During that time, I will train you to fight without sight and how to use your other senses."

"Figures, it had to be difficult," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Power comes with a price," Al said wisely as he picked up the bowl of green liquid. "I trained for a year to activate my Mystic Eyes. Even longer to fully master it. Now, drink this potion, we would need to start as soon as possible."

"What!? Don't I get a rest or something?"

"You have been resting for seven days, and my time is running out," Harry sighed and drank the foul potion. He coughed after downing it in one gulp but he could feel his strength return. "Let us begin with something that is useful and important to have. It is a branch of mind magic called Occlumency…"

Something tells Harry that this was going to suck.

* * *

><p><strong>Theory behind Magic<strong>

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><p>Harry evaded the volley of spells and then raised the earth to block some of the nasty ones. He punched the wall of earth in front of him and sent chunks to his attacked. The chunks were filled with magic and exploded upon contact. His golden eyes narrowed as he inspected the human shaped energy behind the earth wall. He ducked as a slashing curse split his physical shield in half and rolled in the ground, sending blocks of magic to the attacker.<p>

Harry stood up and gathered lightning; he made sure to coat his hands with the right amount of magic to avoid being fried by the green lightning. He waved his arms and lightning was released in an arc. His master used the very air to slice his lightning. Harry cursed as he was sent flying by the blunt force that followed. He controlled the air around him to cushion his fall and released a volley of spells which were dodged masterfully by Al.

Their battle had been going on for the last thirty minutes and Harry could feel himself tiring. Al however, looked like he was walking his dog in a park. The old man had inhuman stamina despite his old age. He was truly a monster that was feared a long time ago.

Harry was hit by a bludgeoning spell and collapsed on his back. He panted for air as he watched Al approach him.

"Not bad… and it had been only a year since you unlocked your Mystic Eyes," he praised as Harry got back on his feet. "Sufficient for now, but I expect you to do better in the future."

Harry grunted as he casted a healing spell on himself. His body was covered with bruises and scratches. Luckily he did not broke a bone this time, it was a testament to his improvement in just one year under the tutelage of Al.

"Did you know why your control was so weak?" Al asked. "It's because you lack focus."

"Focus?"

"Yes, wizards use their wands as focus for their spells. Since we do not use a wand, we do not have anything to use as a focus," Al explained and created a ball of magic in his hand. "Your control lacked focus."

"But you said it yourself, we do not use wands. Does that mean we have to substitute for it or something?"

"Correct; but the question is, what can we used as a substitute?"

"Err… our body?

"Yes! So how come you did not use your body as a substitute?"

"I used my eyes as substitute!"

"That's wrong. You already said that the body should be the focus. If that is the case, then why only use your eyes?"

Harry's mouth contorted as an 'o' shape as he listened to the explanation of the old man. He was now thirteen years old and he looked completely different from his ten-year-old self. His hair was now pure white and his face structure had changed similar to Al's. He could pass now as Al's grandson and by the following years, he would look like his son because of the ritual he took over a year ago.

After he unlocked the Mystic Eyes, Al did not wasted any time and taught him how to control his gift. It took two months before he could cast a decent spell with his eyes but it was worth it. His Mystic Eyes was not as strong as his wandless magic but it was coming close. His physical strength was nothing to be laughed at. Although he could not kick through steal like Al said he could when he was young (he knew it was impossible for him), his kicks could break bones. He also trained close combat and how to use magic to improve his body.

He bled and sweated but he was still not close to defeat his master.

"Come; let us test how you can improve your magic."

Harry cursed as the old man sent volleys of spells onto him once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Saying Goodbyes<strong>

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><p>A fourteen-year-old Harry sat beside the bed where Aleister laid weakly. Two months ago, he had started to weaken and cough out blood. Even though Harry protested, the old man continued to duel with him. Harry had won, although he knew that he only did because Al was so weak that he could not use magic as he did a year ago. His condition continued to deteriorate until he could not stand or even eat anything.<p>

"Ah, do not blame yourself lad,"

"But if we did not duel you could still—"

"We knew that this is going to happen eventually," the old man let out a dry chuckle. "I could still remember that day you came here. Drenched and cold, but the fire in your eyes reminded me of my younger self. Now, you are a strong young man in pursuit of my dreams… I'm sorry to have burdened you with my problems."

"Nonsense," Harry suppressed the tears that threatened to escape from his eyes. He knew that this would happen, but damn it he was not prepared. "I made a promise and I plan to fulfill it."

As his act of gratitude for this man who deeply regretted his past mistakes, Harry swore that he would destroy the evils that were created by the old man and his family. As the apprentice and grandson of Aleister Romulus Archibald, it was his duty.

"I'm sorry I could not guide you… but I have my confidence on you, lad," Al's breathing started to get heavy and Harry knew that it was inevitable. "I… am proud to have taught a brilliant mind like you. I consider you as a son lad, and I pray that you do not make the same mistakes as I did…"

"You know I wouldn't…"

"Yes, that's why I entrusted my dream to you; to change the Archibald for the better," Al tightened his grip on Harry's hands. "Go forth and don't let anything stand on your way… Herwald Rizevim Archibald… my heir,"

The hand that was holding his slowly lost its strength.

"I will, I promise you…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Munich, December 14, 2003**

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><p>The Gremlin Spot in Munich was a busy place. As the center of trade in the Wizarding Germany, the place was full of business and countless stores, even if there were only a few people out to shop. Harry apparated here all the way from China where he had investigated a cursed artifact that belonged to Al's grandfather and was stolen by some wannabe Dark Lord, Ming Hu or something. As the weather was unbearable, Harry casted a warming charm on his clothes and proceeded to his business.<p>

Neuwolfenstein bank.

It was the central bank in this part of Europe and the only one run by humans, unlike the others banks run by either goblins or gnomes. Harry always wondered why some wizards would allow creatures to hold their money; goblins were not a nice bunch as far as he knows.

Accepting that it was a mystery he would solve later, Harry entered the bank, aware of the glares sent his way by some people due to the mark sewn on the back of his coat. He knew that only a small few would recognize it and a fewer for what it stands for.

A snake biting its tail and forming a circle with a pentagram inside, it was the family crest of the Archibald.

Al always reminded Harry that he was to flaunt his status as a member of the Archibald house for it was how all of them are required to act. He said that an Archibald must take pride for his identity for their family represented power and influence. Harry did not like it but obeyed it nonetheless. It was a sign to declare that the family known for its wickedness still exists and that all must remain vigilant, aware of them.

Harry spotted the counter where a woman on her mid-twenties was stationed. He went towards her, never losing his aura of power as he did. The woman showed a polite smile and asked him what she could do for him. If there was one thing Neuwolfenstein was known for, it was for their politeness no matter how stuck-up their clients were.

"I am Herwald Archibald," he saw her freeze for a moment before taking a suspicious glance at him. It seems that Al's family was still famous until now, and no doubt many had tried to impersonate them. "I am here to check the accounts of my family and make a few changes."

The woman frowned and took something from her desk. Harry saw her muttering under her sleeve before she turned to him with an apologetic smile.

"I apologize but that account has not been touched for decades and they are thought to be extinct," he already knew what she was up to. She wants to determine whether he was a fraud. "It is required for you to take the blood ritual to prove that you are a member of the Archibald house,"

Harry did not change his expression and nodded at her.

"Very well, someone will come here to administer the ritual."

He inwardly sighed. He never thought that his supposed family would extend the fear even to the most secured place in Germany. Then again, the Archibald's were notoriously known for its history in blood and for the many dark wizards and witches that it has produced for centuries. Harry played his snow-white hair as he waited for the person who would perform the ritual on him. He was painfully aware of the stares from the other people in the establishment.

Finally, after five minutes of waiting, a bulky man with dark skin and shaved head arrived and introduced himself as Kurt. Harry let out an amused smile and wondered if the man was trying to intimidate him. Al did it once, and Harry crapped on his pants.

He followed the man deeper to the bank and inside a room where he immediately noticed three more bulky men were waiting. Harry stood in the middle of the room even when Kurt and the other three surrounded him with matching glares that would have scared a muggle to submission. Harry let out a sigh after reading their surface thoughts with Legilimency and knew that he had to be rough. He would need to demonstrate that he was no fraud.

"Alright kid," Kurt said in what Harry assumed was his menacing tone. "You're not the first one to try to enter here and demand the fortune of that family. I'll give a chance to stop now and spent a year in prison… or we can do it the hard way."

The other men cracked their knuckled ominously.

Harry chuckled at them. For the supposedly, 'Politest' bank in the world, he sure was getting a VIP treatment. The four men growled and Harry was beginning to wonder whether they were impersonating a dog. Well, their impersonation sucks, a foal could do better than they could.

Harry adopted a cruel smirk as he allowed his magic to explode and ensnare them. The four hulking figures were lifted in the air without any movements from him. Harry's eyes changed from light green to gold as he used Mystic Eyes for intimidation. The effect was instant.

He could feel their fear of him radiating in the air thickly.

He wanted to release them now that his point was made, but there were other things that Al drilled on his mind. There were three rules that an Archibald must follow. One was to never allow anyone step on you. Two was to never bow down to anyone. Lastly, the third was to crush anyone who dares to impede them. Harry knew that his mission was to change Al's family ways; he would start with those three rules as soon as he can.

With the help of his magic, Harry blasted the four men to the walls and allowed his raw power to crush them for a second before he released them. The men simultaneously fell in the ground gasping for their breath. Harry glared harshly at a spot where he knew another one of them was watching.

His glare did its job as an old man removed his invisibility cloak and fought back the urge to bolt out of the door.

"Now that the introduction is over, let us proceed to business," said Harry as he stared down at the man who would everything but look directly at his eyes. "As you know, my family had a vacation, and left our accounts unattended. I need to rectify that."

"Yes, yes right away!"

The man scampered to get the necessary material while the four men from earlier decided to do their job and help. Harry watched them while feigning disinterest. He felt bad about how he treat them, he only hoped that he would not have to repeat that every time he goes somewhere. Although he will admit displaying power was fun… he cut that though from his mind and focused on his task.

The old man went to him and offered a piece of parchment and a small knife.

"Please drop three ounce of your blood to start the ritual…"

Harry glared at the man, this time for real. Al had taught him about countless rituals that may be used to ensure his identity and he knows for sure that this kind of procedure only requires a single drop of blood from him. He used Legilimency to read the man's surface thoughts and discovered that he planned to hide the other two drops from future use. Harry knew that some dark rituals required the blood of the target either given willingly or taken forcibly.

The people's fear of the Archibald's was now dawning on him.

"Do you take me for a fool?" he asked him harshly his magic running rampant, enough to shake the room they were in. "This is the last one. One more of this farce and I will ensure that none of you would leave this room breathing."

His intimidation act did its job as the old man fell on his butt and nodded profusely, fear evident on his eyes.

Harry produced a single drop of blood from his finger and allowed it to fall in the parchment. The place where his blood made contact shone with light and after a few moments, the name 'Herwald Rizevim Archibald' appeared on the surface. He showed the parchment to the old man who took it with trembling hands. As the man confirmed his identity, Harry summoned the parchment back to him and burned it with white flames, without a wand of course.

And with that, Harry returned to the woman in the counter with the five men behind him. A small part of him enjoyed the woman's expression when he saw how pale and scared her colleagues looked. She immediately did what he asked of her and there were no complications after that.

* * *

><p><strong>Nymphenburg Palace, December 15, 2003<strong>

* * *

><p>Harry sipped his morning coffee with an amused smile as he stared at the newspaper on his hands. He wondered if the Neuwolfenstein were responsible for the article but quickly dismissed it. It must have been one of the people who saw him yesterday, more specifically, the mark on the back of his coat. The bank only provided confirmation and no other information about him, they would keep his privacy as per every bank's oath.<p>

He looked at the window beside him and threw away the idea for a walk. He would enjoy his life back to the modern world for a while. He had spent a month in China searching for rumors about the Black Cleaver, but it seems that Ming something had destroyed it when he tried to do some ritual. It had been a while since he last felt the comfort of a real bed and an equally real pillow. He would have never thought that the Archibald's would own a palace! Even though it was open to the public, only a few selected places was to be showed to muggles.

Harry sighed and summoned a house elf to refill his drink.

A content look settled on his face and he took another glance at the newspaper.

**Heir of the Archibald's Returns!**

_By Maria Antonia_

_You are not reading wrong dear readers! Yesterday, many people noticed a young man making his way to Neuwolfenstein bank. However, what they noticed was the symbol behind the young man's coat. It was the Archibald family crest, which depicted a snake eating its own tail with a pentagram. As you can see, many people still remembered the dark and bloody history of the Archibald family and their contributions to the advancement of dark magic. The Herald was bombarded with requests to investigate this young man and his ties to the legendary Archibald house._

_I personally went to Neuwolfenstein bank to interview their manager, Patrick Bodewig. It was then that this reporter's fear came true. Manager Bodewig declared that Lord Herwald Rizevim Archibald is the heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Archibald!_

_As you know, the last member of the Archibald family, Alistair Romulus Archibald, disappeared a century ago after his single-handed destruction of a small village in Russia. Ever since then, there had been no news of him and people thought their family to be extinct. However, that is not the case! Lord Herwald has returned as the head of his house. This writer's only question is whether he would be like his ancestors, or would he be different? What does this mean for the Wizarding world?_

_Archibald's bloody and dark history, see page three._

_New Lord Archibald, is he different from the previous, see page five_

"Not even a week here and already made front page," Harry chuckled and put down the newspaper in the table. He then sighed as he remembered his business in the bank. He discovered most of Al's properties and fortune that left him hanging on his mouth. He did not however, found clues to where to find some of the dark artifacts that the Archibald's created.

So far, he had destroyed two of them. The first was the Blood Amulet in Siberia and the Crystal Skull in Vietnam. The Black Cleaver was destroyed by Ming-something and that left him a hundred more to hunt. Just how many artifacts' did they created? He thought they would settle down with seven from the arithmetic value or something, evidently not.

It would take him years to finish.

Oh well, he had all the time. Al did say that he should live a little and not devote his entire life hunting them. He also said trying Durmstrang where Al spent his childhood learning; that is until Grindlewald came and wreaked havoc to the world. Al, at that time did not viewed Grindlewald as a threat and allowed him to whatever he wanted so long as he did not get on his way. Being from a respected family would not matter if he did not finish schooling from a known school. Harry was rather curious, the last time he went to school was when he was ten and it was a muggle one.

On the other hand, perhaps he could go to Salem, the people there are nice. It was said so on a magazine.

Harry pondered for a moment and decided to choose later. For now, he had a lot to catch up in the muggle society. So many things had changed since his disappearance four years ago and he would not throw away this life because he had magic now.

Yes, he would start with the thing called internet…

* * *

><p><strong>January 10, 2003 <strong>

**Storming the Castle**

* * *

><p>Harry knew that all of the premiere magical schools guard their locations zealously, but this one has to take the cake. Durmstrang was hidden under a hundred spells of overpowers disillusion charms. Furthermore, the Durmstrang castle was practically a fortress, equipped with many means of defense and offense that can even take out a dragon! If it weren't for the image that he had to maintain, Harry would have asked help from someone or even enter the castle by normal means.<p>

It was guarded heavily, but not impenetrable.

Sadly, he had to keep a powerful image so he had to do things the hard way. He could not appear weak and let the others perceive him as a child. He needed to make sure that his enemies would stay away from the cursed relics that he have sworn to destroy. He could only do that if he appeared as someone that they should not mess with.

Therefore, he plowed through the castles' defenses with his raw power.

He compressed the air around him and gave it a powerful rotation on par with super typhoons. He used more than half of his magic to charge the mini tornado before he released it to break through the defenses of Durmstrang castle. A small rift was left on his attack's wake and Harry almost collapsed to his knees. He was glad that he had his cane on him. By the time his attack broke through the defenses, he had already started to walk with leisure to the castle.

As he neared, he saw several of the ballistae aimed at him. Harry started to feel the beginning of nervousness; he might be ridiculously strong, but he was nowhere Al's power and his earlier trick had tired him dramatically.

Harry saw a middle-aged man along with a few wizards and witches making their way to him, their wands at ready. He smiled and walked towards them, his smile turned predatory when he saw the nervous expressions' on the battalion's faces. He knew that he had to play it right.

"Greetings," he said smoothly, noticing that some of them shivered on his voice alone. "I did not expect to be welcomed so quickly. Most people would hide in the confines of their dungeons."

The middle-aged man glared at Harry but he did not found it to be intimidating. He would have thought that the man was brave if not for the small twitching on his lips and the sweat all over his face despite the cold weather.

"Well, most people would not destroy a fortress' defense and walk like nothing happened," the middle-aged man said in an angry tone. "I see that you do not differ from your family, Lord Archibald."

"Oh, you already know me?" an amused smile lit up on his face. "Well, you have me at a disadvantage, would it be possible to bestow me your appellation?"

"Only a fool would not know of your name, Lord Archibald. Especially after the news of what you did to those assassins," the middle-aged man said with discomfort. "As for my name, I am Kristoff Bodewig, Headmaster of Durmstrang. The people behind me are the teaching staff."

"Exaggerations, I assure you," Harry said truthfully. The newspapers had greatly exaggerated the fate of his wannabe assassins. The truth was that he only roughed them up and placed fake memories on them. "I do not promote violence unlike my predecessors."

The teachers and Kristoff looked at him dubiously.

"I'm… sure they did," Kristoff coughed on his hand and wore a professional look. "Now that introductions are done, I have to respectfully ask why you destroyed my school's defenses, Lord Archibald."

"I hate portkeys and I wanted to get here as soon as I can," _I just really wanted to show off my power and maintain my image as someone you would not fuck with_. Harry answered with a cheeky smile. Kristoff did not look amused.

One of the teaching staffs noticed the hint he dropped.

"'_To get here as soon as you can?_'" the old witch asked stiffly. "May I ask why you wanted to be here in the first place?"

A patented look flashed on his face for a second before it was replaced by an innocent smile. However, the headmaster and his staff did not buy it for a second. Harry placed his hand below his chin and pretended to think; it was funny how his counterparts were sweating in their places.

"It's obvious!" Harry shouted with childlike tone. "I wanted to study at Durmstrang!"

Their faces… Oh Morgana, their faces!

Harry contained the urge to laugh and looked at their frozen expressions; a simple smirk appeared on his face as he did. Messing with people really was fun. The headmaster returned to his senses and stared at Harry with a frown.

"You destroyed the school's defenses for that?"

Harry nodded. Kristoff sighed and muttered the word 'retirement' under his breath, however Harry and the teaching staff all heard him. A bearded man in particular looked paler at this. Kristoff rubbed his temples and turned to him once again.

"There are many schools to choose from. I wish to ask why you would choose Durmstrang in particular, not that I am complaining of course…"

"Because of grandfather," a nostalgic smile surfaced on his face. "Grandfather told me tales of his days here, and I want to experience it as well. His name is Aleister."

The battalion of teaching staff froze at the name of the man who slaughtered an entire village for the sake of his research.

* * *

><p><strong>January 11, 2003<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Heir of Archibald Attacks Durmstrang!<strong>

_Yesterday, the peaceful students of Durmstrang were greatly disturbed when the defenses of their historic school were destroyed from the outside! As you know, Durmstrang is a school that is guarded heavily and secured by its teaching staffs. However, the school's defenses did not stood a chance when Lord Herwald Archibald himself crushed the hundreds of protective spells and strode through the castle. He was shortly intercepted by the brave high master and his teaching staff. _

_Imagine their surprise when the young Lord said that he wished to attend Durmstrang to honor his grandfather's request. After a brief discussion of the Lord and the High master, witnessed by the teaching staff, Lord Archibald was accepted in Durmstrang and would start his fourth year today._

_Quidditch players who were in the sky and saw the event claimed that a tornado struck and ripped whatever protective layers were present in the school. They then saw a single figure approaching the school and called the high master for aid. _

_An anonymous student stated; "He walked through the destruction he caused with a content smile. His snow-white hair fluttered, revealing his eyes radiating with power. He stared through the castle's best weapons and wizards and wore a challenging smirk."_

_The last Archibald to attend Durmstrang was none other than Aleister Archibald, Lord Herwald's grandfather. It is because the aged lord wanted his grandson to find camaraderie and friends in school? Or is there another reason for his attendance._

**High-Master Kristoff Bodewig retires from position! New High-Master, Igor Karkaroff Appointed—**

Harry dropped the newspaper and strode towards the Great Hall of Durmstrang to eat breakfast. Stares followed wherever he went and he wanted nothing but to yell at them. The students watched everything he does and some even followed him when they thought he did not notice them. Fingers pointed at him whenever he enters a room and hushed whispers soon follow.

"It's him!" "Look! The one with the white hair!" "Did he really destroy our castle's defenses?" "That kind of power and he's only a fourth year?" "I heard the High Master dueled him and won! That's why he's here…" "Don't be an idiot. He took on the entire staff and won!" "Then why is he here?" "Maybe he's planning to make Durmstrang his base of operations." "Is he planning to recruit followers?" "Another Dark Lord in the making?" "Who knows, he might already be a Dark Lord and planning to Imperius' us all and us his servants!" "Just like in England? Death Heaters?" "Its Death Eaters, you moron!"

Harry chuckled at their conversations and made his way to get a plate of pancake… nothing beats pancake for breakfast.

* * *

><p><strong>April 7, 2003<strong>

**The Vampire of Durmstrang**

* * *

><p>The old warehouse near the castle was seldom visited by students, Harry explored the building with this knowledge. Two months after his arrival in Durmstrang, the gossip about him had finally died. It was an awkward first week that he experienced, with everyone afraid of him and news about his nefarious plans changing every hour, each plan becoming more horrendous than the previous ones. Although it was amusing, it lost its novelty by the third week.<p>

Every now and then, Harry would want to be alone to gather his thoughts. This night was one of those times.

Harry strolled through the abandoned place and thought about his academics. The Fourth Year Dark Arts were his favorite so far, Transfiguration came second, Charms in third and Potions is in the last. He was doing all well in them, except in the group work. Up until now, none had tried to talk to him. Even the blood elitists left him alone to his devices. Having a flashy entrance and a display of power contributed greatly in that.

Harry wasn't bothered though, none of the other students piqued his interest.

He sighed, it was getting hard to find something to so in the castle. Technology did not work well with magic and Harry was left with nothing to do but studying. The only past times he have was the morning and evening exercise. He was not interested in Quidditch and chasing intelligent balls. He wondered why so many of the student body was attracted to the sport in the first place.

Harry sat on the roof of the warehouse and allowed the air to carry his voice.

"I commend that I almost did not notice you. You're the sneakiest fellow I have encountered…"

The presence had followed him ever since he stepped inside the warehouse. It was quite hard to detect the presence for it blends with darkness and had a different feel than others. There was very little life in it.

"Well now, I see the rumors are true," a feminine voice replied as a figure walked out of the shadows. "You can't hide from the monster."

Harry spared a glance and saw the one who have followed him. She was a girl, on the same age as him, but he had never seen her before. She had raven black hair and an unnatural pale skin. However, what stood the most in her features were her blood red eyes.

"I thought the rumors of a vampire here were false." Harry mused. "May I know your name and the reason why you followed me?"

"Very well, since you asked politely; my name is Elizabeth Dunois," Elizabeth smiled thinly and revealed her sharp fangs. "For the second question, I followed you because you are in my territory."

"Hm? This dusty warehouse?"

"Well, my room is a lot cleaner, but yes, this place is my territory. That's why no one else aside from teachers visit this area."

"Ah, is my presence a bother to you?"

"Yes it is," Elizabeth answered with a straight face. "Please leave."

"Well then," Harry chuckled at her answer and stood from his place. "Please excuse my rudeness. I might come here again when the others are being a bother so please just ignore me."

Elizabeth frowned. "Just make sure you do not visit regularly," she vanished in her spot leaving Harry alone to his thoughts.

The girl was no ordinary vampire, Harry concluded as he jumped to the ground from his place in the roof. Vampires can't conceal their presence like that. Elizabeth Dunois was a different case. He was sure that she was nor just a normal vampire.

"An Elder," Harry mused.


End file.
